Career Development pan - Vocational Ballet Schools Advice

Career Development pan - Vocational Ballet Schools Advice

Odette-

Lately I have been in doubt about becoming a professional because I feel like my studio may not prepare me to get to the top. I want to be a professional with a big company more than anything and I work my hardest in class but I feel like my studio may not get me there. I know there are a lot of pre-professional training programs out there but money is tight so I might not be able to join one. Any advice?

Abby

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Reply by Odette
To:- Career Development pan - Vocational Ballet Schools Advice

Hello Abby,

Thank your message, it’s great to hear from you. Nearly every dancer has a lot of doubts, worries and fears about becoming a professional. It’s up to you to turn these doubts into productive actions and help you on your way to get to the top. At least you have realised now your current studio may not be giving the training you need, so you’ve done absolutely the right thing to explore your options. Definitely by the age of 16, you need to be training in a vocational ballet school to meet the demands of what ballet companies expect in young dancers. I know money can seem like the biggest obstacle, but most training programs offer scholarships and funding to help you afford to train with them if you are talented enough.

I would research and make a list of the training programs you want to audition for. It will be costly to apply and audition to the schools, but entirely worth the investment if you end up with a scholarship to one of these places. I would talk to your family and discuss together where you could potentially train. Don’t forget to keep your options open and look at the possibility of other careers too. I always kept up my academics until I joined a ballet company, so it’s really good idea not to entirely forget about your academics.

Otherwise, look at the progress of current and past students at your current dance school. Have they gone on to join big companies? Or to train at professional programs?

I hope this advice helps you, keep in touch!

Best wishes,
Odette